[pollacjw]

I am a possible mac convert. I just cant stand my dell laptop anymore. Nonetheless, have been thinking about getting a powerbook 15' in the next few weeks.
Heres the issue, I will be backpacking June through August this summer and theres little need for a laptop...
So whats the update cycle on mac products? I can bare my dell for a few more months if it means getting a better powerbook come September-October.
According to one of the guys at the Apple Store, the G5 PB wont be out until Dec 04 Jan 05 at best.
I know this is all speculation but your guess is better then mine.

[mystery_stain]

The cycles aren't that predictable. We waited forever for the current 15", which only came out a few months ago. I would wait until you got back, if only because, over three months, a computer will move much closer to being obsolete, and you won't be getting any use out of it while it does that. You'd probably prefer to pay for having the old laptop go obsolete while idle instead of paying for the new laptop to go obsolete while idle.

[maranellof1]

update cyces are roughly every 6 months.... and since motorola has stopped producing the g4 chip, the next revision of the powerbooks i think will be very cool.... either a g5, or a totally modded up g4 built by ibm... totally wait dude... cheers...

[TempleOwls]

I would vote for waiting too. Sometimes, not all the time though there are updates to the line just in time for the new school year.

[pdrayton]

Are you a student at a University/College?
If so, Apple had a great "Buy a bundle, save a bundle" student promotion last Fall. Normally I don't advise people to wait, but in your case I don't think you'll be missing out on much if you do.
Of course, just because Apple had a great student promotion last year doesn't mean they'll do it this year. I would expect at best a variation on last year's promotion. Even with no promotion it still seems to make sense to wait.

[nkasuri1]

Going by the regular 6 month update cycle, the PB's should be up for a revision in about a month. I believe it will be a minor upgrade. The next upgrade after that will probably by the G5 Powerbook. I believe they will arrive some time later this year.

[rstorm40]

Another vote for waiting? You have nothing to loose!

[pollacjw]

That's a resounding wait.... i guess ill do just that. Thanks for the help!

[pollacjw]

So I have been reading the forums and I am a little afraid of buying the G5 PB right when it comes out. I really dont want to deal with hardware issues that plagued the 15'' : dead pixels, other screen problems and what not.
If the G4 PB is a example of Apple's production and update cycle, it looks that it takes 4-5 months to get the bugs out after the original release. Am I crazy to think waiting for the .2 version of the G5 would be wise.....
If my argument has merit, ill get an i-book now, cozy up to OS X and then come 05 throw down for a new machine.
Any thoughts?
Thanks again for the input.

[gyroscope4]

depending on your computational needs, if you buy an ibook you may find you don't need a whole powerbook. (speaking as someone who is still in love with her ibook afte 2 great years.) i say don't wait, buy the ibook (or powerbook) now!

In reply to:

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If my argument has merit, ill get an i-book now, cozy up to OS X and then come 05 throw down for a new machine.

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[stockscalper]

From macosrumors Feb 6th:
Next-generation Powerbook G4 details: A modest update to Apple's pro laptops, to bridge the considerable gap between the current models and the Powerbook G5 that will be introduced in the late third quarter, is expected early this spring. The update will be almost entirely in the specifications list and will not introduce any major enclosure or architectural changes.
Details include PowerPC 7457 G4 processors at 1.25, 1.33, and 1.467 or possibly 1.533GHz. There may be 1MB DDR backside L3 cache memory on some high-end models, a feature that is missing from the current Powerbooks. The models which now employ the Radeon 9600 Mobility will probably be upgraded to the Radeon 9700 Mobility, offering a 30% boost to 3D performance along with reduced power consumption and operating temperatures. Larger hard drives and high-performance disk options (5400 and 7200RPM) are expected to round out the update. It is widely expected to be announced with little fanfare, but should keep new buyers interested until the PBG5 drops in August or September at 1.6-2.0GHZ.

[Mac-Ale]

Updates are hardly clock work on six month cycles, and rumor sites are more often wrong than right...get a G4 laptop and learn the OS, its not going to be a dinosaur by 2005 or anything...